Jun 27, 2013

how to motivate yourself to workout - guest post by Sage

If
you’re not naturally inclined to working out or don’t enjoy sports, it can be
difficult to get into a rhythm of exercising each day. You know that it’s good
for your mind, body, and spirit, but somehow life gets too busy -- especially
with kids in the mix. It can be difficult to make the time and muster up the
energy and motivation to exercise, but you’ll be glad you did afterward. No one
ever regrets a good workout, and pretty soon you’ll find your energy level rising
and your body getting hotter. If that’s not motivation enough, here are a few
ideas to help motivate yourself to whip that body into shape:

If
you have been a couch potato for the past few years, you’re probably not going
to be able to run a marathon in your first week of working out. Let’s just be
honest here. The key to being consistent and establishing a pattern is not to
push yourself too hard in the beginning. You shouldn’t be discouraged that you
can’t run a marathon right away. Start a Couch-to-5K program where you can
gradually build stamina, and don’t be too hard on yourself. The key is to get
your butt out the door for 30 minutes each week. If you have to, walk. It’s a
good idea to get afitness tracker so you’re able to chart your
progress and can see the gradual improvements. They will happen. It’s just a
matter of time.

Mental Motivation

Your
worst enemy is yourself when you’re trying to get in shape. All the lies and
moments of self-consciousness tend to creep up, and the best thing you can do
is push through them. Before you begin your workout, remind yourself that
there’s a difference between being uncomfortable and being in pain. You will
probably be uncomfortable during your workout, and that’s okay. You’ll never
change unless you put yourself in a position of being uncomfortable. If you’re
in pain, it means you’re doing something wrong and should talk to a personal
trainer or fitness expert.

Many
women will put up pictures of model thin bodies as motivation to get in shape,
when the truth is that their personal body types may prevent them from being a
tall size zero. And that’s okay. If you have photos of yourself at a thinner
and fit time in your life, use those photos for motivation. You were once at
that size, and you looked wonderful -- you can do it again!

Sage is on a
quest to get fit and she knows that weight lifting
workouts as well as staying motivated to workout will help her on her get
fit quest.